incompetence

[ in-kom-pi-tuhns ]
See synonyms for incompetence on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the quality or condition of being incompetent; lack of ability.

  2. Law. the condition of lacking power to act with legal effectiveness.

Origin of incompetence

1
First recorded in 1655–65; from French incompétence (equivalent to in- negative prefix + compétence); variant of earlier incompetency;see origin at incompetent;see also -cy, -ence, -ency
  • Also in·com·pe·ten·cy [in-kom-pi-tuhn-see] /ɪnˈkɒm pɪ tən si/ .

Words Nearby incompetence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use incompetence in a sentence

  • Inexhaustibly kind to undeserved misfortune, a little impatient of mere incompetence, implacable to continuous idiocy.

    The Creators | May Sinclair
  • It was chiefly a question of incompetence, no doubt, but there was no consolation in admitting that.

    Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 | Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
  • One was the incompetence of the Irish people for local government.

    Home Rule | Harold Spender
  • But when a layman ventures to plunge deeply into legal subjects, he is naturally apt to make an exhibition of his incompetence.

  • Many of these losses were due to the utter incompetence of the higher command.